Evangelize With Your Ears

Chapter 6 in Henderson's "a.k.a. Lost" is about listening. He says, "The Industrial Revolution required manpower. The Information Age required knowledge. But the current Information Overload Era requires attention management. As followers of Jesus, we need to become experts in the economics of attention."

Why do Christians need to learn to listen better and ask more questions? So we can "learn how not to be jerks." (p.65) Sometimes I don't think we realize how offensive we can seem to people. And, as Henderson points out, "When Christians show genuine interest in others, people sometimes begin to believe that God might actually LIKE them." And the great part is that being interested in people doesn't require special expertise or hours of training. In fact, it involves nothing more than living your normal life and simply beginning to practice the art of noticing those around you.

We are supposed to practice "counting to three" after we ask a question. He says we don't allow people enough time to answer. Good salespeople learn to wait five to ten seconds for people to respond, rather than jumping right back with a comment of their own. Asking good questions and then patiently listening is one of the best gifts we can give anyone. And it's so easy to do.

He also points out (p.66) that "communication experts tell us that content comprises a mere 7 percent of our communication, while tone of voice carries 70 percent." That is wild. So HOW we say something really makes a difference; not just WHAT we say.

They give two examples of 'free attention giveaways':
1). The Phone Call Ordinary Attempt. Call an old friend and ask how they're doing... and listen. Do it on purpose, but don't steer the conversation. Restrain yourself from preaching. If your friend knows you're a Christian - and especially if you've tried to "save" them before - they'll be shocked that you didn't preach. They might even want to talk to you again.

2). The Hold The Door for Someone Ordinary Attempt. If #1 is too big of a stretch, just make a point to hold the door open for someone, or run ahead and open the door for someone.

These are pretty simple, but I have to admit - I need 'simple' with this chapter. I do have trouble listening and giving my attention away. And it's not because I don't want to or don't like people - I really, really do like people. But I'm a contemplative sort of person, and I'm almost always thinking about something, and I'm very task oriented. So this is good for me to hear/read. I pray I will have plenty of opportunities this week. I'm thinking about taking an hour and going to Barnes and Noble, or the Mall, and just opening the door for people. Could be interesting.

Peace. Revolution.